Angers, at the top of human scale cities where life quality is the best

According the a special edition of the L'Express, a national French news magazine, Angers is at the top of the ranking of French cities where quality of life is the best. "This is a real  recognition for human scale cities and for France Western regions", pointed out the mayor of Angers, Frédéric Béatse. If Angers is frequently well graded in similar rankings, it's the first time, for years, that the town has been on the top.

Moreover, Angers was classified in the big towns category, between 200 000 to 300 000 inhabitants where competition is harsh and financial resources the most important. The city is first, regarding the balance between jobs offer and real estate prices (what is, in comparison, with other places rather good, but a clue of a slow activity). Several aspects were examined : transports, family, health, culture, weather, employment, real estate, and safety.

But the medal has its lopside. At the same time, Technicolor, the symbol of the industrialization after WW II was endangered. The figures of unemployment have deteriorated during the last year. The building sector, after buoyant years, experiments now a decreasing activity. Even the university, symbole of the city (formerly called) "the Western Athens" is in the red. The municipal polls due to take place within 2014 will surely open fierce debates on economy. Because economy is always part of life quality.